International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 Iago and His Motives under Modern Eyes Amany Abdelrazik

PHD Researcher - Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Abstract—Shakespeare's plays depict the turn from the to the issues which appear in Othello have greatly pre-modern era with its traditional values and mores into changed between Shakespeare’s time and our the modern approach towards life and individuals. These own...” (Holloway, 1961, p. 155), I am encouraged plays deal with specific questions that were significant in to re-read Iago´s behaviour in light of modern Shakespeare's time and his cultural contexts, such as the thought that could satisfy the modern individual mores and meanings of Christian values in the society, understanding without taking the text out of its the rise of humanism, monarchy and questions related to original context. the economy. Nonetheless, Shakespeare´s questions on Rereading Iago´s behaviour through the religious values and the modern individual seem to be modern lens, I am going to contradict relevant today, in particular, with the recent post-modern Coleridge´s claim of Iago´s “motiveless discussions on the limits of secular rational modernity malignity” through trying out two and a return to a new condition of believing in arguments. Firstly, I argue that Iago´s contemporary societies. Taking the character of Iago as motives lurked inside his own narcissist my reference point, I shall attempt to reread Iago´s character that believed deeply in the actions and psyche in light of a critique of the narcissist individual’s willpower. Secondly, character along with the modern individual´s rational Iago´s attitude could be read in light of a attitude towards life. recent post-modern critique of the Keywords —Iago, modernity, Christianity, rationality, modern rational attitude. This attitude emptiness, superiority. endeavours to suppress and negate the meaning of spiritual feelings for the I. INTRODUCTION sake of a claimed “civilized” rational In Othello, Shakespeare introduces Iago to the audience individual. as a person full of evil and hatred from the first moment In the following pages, I shall trace the of the play. The play starts with Iago persuading Roderigo unlimited self- love in Iago´s character to wake Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, up saying “Call and how it controls his attitude and up her father, Rouse him…poison his delights…do, with reactions. Then, I shall attempt to shed like timorous accent and dire yell.” (I. i. 64-65, 72) Then, light on Iago´s sense of superiority and Iago confesses his hatred for Othello to Roderigo saying, his feelings of “emptiness”. A brief “... I hate him (Othello) as I do hell-pains . . .” (-1. i.150). conclusion in the last section sums up And, as the play progresses, Iago turns out to be a villain my argument. who conspires not only to destroy Othello´s life but that of all those who trusted him without clear reasons. This II. THE HIDDEN FACE OF IAGO: IAGO AND led some critics like T.S. Coleridge to claim that Iago´s HIS UNCONDITIONAL SELF-LOVE actions stem from his “motiveless malignity”, as a result In "Othello", critics argue that Iago is the most perplexing of his love for evil for its own sake and hating “good in character among all Shakespearean villainous characters itself” (Bradley, 1951, P.209). because he did not give any convincing reasons to justify Coleridge´s aforementioned argument of his misdeeds and massive desire to destroy the lives of “motiveless malignity” could have satisfied the those around him. Although Iago tried hard to justify to Elizabethan audience who explained the action in the audience his hatred by, firstly, introducing himself as terms of the dichotomy of virtue and vice (Scragg, an ambitious person who had been unfairly treated by 1968) and therefore “did not expect every Othello. Othello gave Cassio a military promotion which character to produce one rational explanation for Iago deserved, it became even apparent that Iago is not every given action” (Bradbrook, 1983, p. 59-60). interested in taking the position of Cassio but in Such an argument, however, seems to be hardly destroying him. convincing to the modern rational mind, which Secondly, Iago hated Othello even seeks to find a plausible explanation for each before Cassio was promoted. He action. Therefore, and given that “men’s attitudes repeatedly professes his hatred for www.ijels.com Page | 686 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 Othello, he says “I have told thee often, On another occasion, Iago states that he and I re-tell thee again and again,” he fears that Cassio may spoil the says. “I hate the Moor: my cause is relationship between him and Othello, heartened; thine hath no less reason. Let and once again Iago claims that he us be conjunctive in our revenge against suspects that Cassio has deceived him him.” (I.iii.373) by having an affair with Emilia. He, Then, on another occasion, Iago claims however, contradicts himself and that he was a wronged husband and his confesses that he is not certain about wife betrayed him with Othello. Iago this suspicion. says: Although one can argue that Iago´s ... I hate the Moor; circumvented ways of revealing his real And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my motivations for his vicious behaviour sheets make them less convincing, critics argue 'Has done my office. I know not if't be that the problem with Iago is not that he true; did not have motives but that he did not Yet I, for mere suspicion in that kind, reveal his real reasons, and that what we Will do as if for surety. (1.3.378-82) get from Iago´s direct words “is only And, therefore, Iago threatened that he part of the truth, an evidence of things would take revenge for his honour, he says, not seen, or not entirely seen”. (Eisman "And nothing can, or shall content my 1995, p. 177). Indeed, unlike many soul other Shakespearean characters, Till I am even'd with him, wife, for Shakespeare chose not to psychologize wife. about Iago. Throughout the play, we Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor know Iago through the others and his At least into a jealousy so strong actions towards them. The final scene, That judgment cannot cure." (II. i. 331- in which Othello challenges Iago to 5.) express and explain himself ended up in Interestingly, Iago´s behaviours toward Iago´s famous lines: “Demand me his wife do not reflect his love for her. nothing. What you know, you know. On the contrary, he despises her. For From this time forth I never will speak a instance, when Emilia steals word.” (V.ii.303). Desdemona’s handkerchief for him, he Following the aforementioned comments on her action by saying, “It’s argument which suggests that Iago a common thing–to have a foolish wife” reveals just part of the truth behind his (III. iii.302-304). In the essay “The hatred on the stage what could be his Polarization of Erotic Love in real motives to hate those around him? “Othello,” Arthur Kirsch affirms this Here, I am going to reveal another idea, he writes: “Although Emilia’s motive behind Iago´s vicious actions portrayal is very complex, it is following his psychological reasons. I nevertheless obvious that Iago has little argue that Iago´s motive can be ascribed affection for her.” (Kirsch 1978, p.758) to his psyche. Furthermore, in a comparison between Critics argue that Iago´s egoism and Othello´s reaction when he was told unconditional self- love can be about his wife´s adultery and Iago´s considered one of the key reasons for reaction when he suspects a vicious his behaviour. It seems that Iago´s ego relationship between Othello and his plays the most important role in his life. wife it shows that; "while Othello reacts In this context, one can start by referring to his wife’s adultery by spying on her to the choice of the name “Iago” itself and obsessing about knowing her which seems not a random choice but it infidelity for sure, Iago focuses all of his carries an implicit message. The name energy on Othello and noton the Iago "unfolds from the Italian io, Latin claimed unfaithful wife. This could add ego" (Adelmann ,1997, p. 127) a to the argument that Iago´s motive is to suggestion that manifests itself in the destroy Othello and that he is indifferent omnipresence of the "I" of Iago in his about "the stealing of his wife´s heart". speech; for instance, when Iago www.ijels.com Page | 687 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 describes his injured " I" he says, "I Desdemona also describes Iago as a know my price, I am worth no worse a good man. For instance, when she gives place" (1.1.11); "And I, of whom his Cassio her promise that she will help eyes had seen the proof... must be lee'd, him get his job back, Emilia says that and calm'd" (11. 28-30); "And I, God Cassio's difficult situation deeply bless the mark, his worship's ancient" grieves Iago, here Desdemona (1. 33). comments, "O, that's an honest fellow." Also, Soellner comments on Iago´s (3.3.5) judgement of himself writing, “is not Such good opinions of Iago illustrate only arrogant but also egotistic and that Iago had exerted a great effort to immoral; he compounds the sin of pride achieve his ultimate goal, which is to with the sin of self-love. He never yet preserve his admirable image in the eyes found a man who knew "how to love of those around him to prove for himself himself" (I.iii.315) except, of course, his “uniqueness and grandeur" (Vaknin himself.” (Soellner, 1972, p. 265) 2003, p. 27). But Iago´s belief of Iago´s unconditional self-love and himself as unique had been attacked sense of superiority, which are when Othello gave Cassio the position, considered the essential factors that which Iago believes should have been control his feelings and actions towards given to him. Iago felt that Cassio´s those around him, created an insecure promotion over him attacked his honour character of him. Iago radically changed since he, Iago, claimed that he deserves from an honest person to a devil this position and that he was treated destroying the lives of those around him unjustly. He says "I know my price; I without showing any regret for their am worth more no worse a place." suffering. In this context, can one read (l.i.12) Iago as a narcissist and self-centred Iago thinks of himself as a more character? efficient soldier than Cassio whom he Sam Vaknin in “Malignant Self Love: describes as merely”...a bookish Narcissism Revisited” argues that a theoric” (I.i.24) guilty of “mere prattle narcissist is in love with his own without practice” (I.i.26); and a person reflection, therefore he loves people´s who had “...never set a squadron in the impressions of him, and thus field, nor the division of battle knows” endeavoured to maintain an admirable (I.i.21-22). Here, like all narcissists, image by satisfying people around him, Iago started to blame his failure on the not because he appreciates those people, unfair outer world believing that such but because he uses those people as a promotion “...goes by letter and mirror that reflects the beauty of his self affection, And not by old gradation” (Vaknin, 2003, p. 27). (I.i.36) and felt that his pride was Vaknin´s argument about the narcissist attacked when Othello chose Cassio to character explains to a great extent why be his lieutenant. Here, Marjorie Pryse, Iago endeavoured to gain the trust of all in her article Lust for Audience: An around him and succeeded in that as it Interpretation of Othello, argues that” manifested itself in the opinions of those Iago was not interested in the promotion around him. For example, when the in itself and that his resentment to Duke commanded Othello to leave for Othello after he promoted Cassio was Cyprus and to designate an officer to because Othello “has refused to listen to deliver documents from the Senate, Iago and the advocates Iago sends. As Othello appoints Iago to be that officer far as Othello is concerned, Iago does and describes him as "A man he is of not exist. He does not recognize Iago’s honesty and trust" (1.3.284). Once worth, and Iago is offended.” (Pryse, again, when Othello asks Cassio to take 1976, p. 461). care of the festivities in Cyprus, Cassio Moreover, Iago also destroyed not only answers that he has already commanded Othello and Cassio´s lives after Cassio Iago to do so, here, Othello comments was promoted but also that of that "Iago is most honest" (2.3.6) Desdemona, who did not play any role www.ijels.com Page | 688 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 in Cassio´s military promotion. Why In line with Tylor´s aforementioned did Iago hate Desdemona? term of “sense of fullness,” one can Critics argue that Iago also wanted to argue that Iago ´s character could be a destroy Desdemona when he thought representation of the dilemma of the that she was becoming a threat to his void of religious aspect in human´s own image; when Desdemona asks him psyche. about his opinion of women, and here One can see this in Iago´s desire to Karl Zender in his article The destroy all who he consider “full” and Humiliation of Iago (1994), maintained “ all in all” unlike him shows his envy that “In posing her challenges, of those people as Adam Philip says Desdemona places Iago in a “Tell me what you need to spoil and I situation…of being required to express will tell you what you want,"(Philip in affection at someone else’s request” Boris 1994: vii-xi, esp. ix.). Although (325). Iago felt that he was humiliated Iago endeavours to show his high and his thus “Anger at Desdemona vies opinion of himself it seems clear this is with anger and Cassio and Othello as just a fragile mask to cover his feelings Iago’s primary motive in the remainder of inferiority when he compares himself of Othello; and this anger…decides with those whom he is trying to prove Desdemona’s fate,” concludes Zender foolish and he himself envies. (330). Iago always affirms his sense of To sum up, one can argue that Iago "emptiness and nothingness, he says, "I could strongly represent an egoistic am not what I am"; "I am nothing, if not character that was always faithful only critical" (2.1.119). Iago feels inferior to to his own self-interest. He adopted the Othello who " has the presence, the virtue of honesty just to satisfy his own fullness of being, Othello is "all in all sense of uniqueness in the eyes of the sufficient" (4.1.261), a "full soldier" others and turned into a villain when he (2.1.36), whose "solid virtue" (4.1.262) felt that his pride had been attacked. and "perfect soul" (1.2.31) allow him to achieve the "full fortune" (1.1.66). Here, III. THE DILEMMA OF IAGO´S Janet Adelman maintains that “the SUPERIORITY AND MODERN extent to which Othello's fullness and RATIONALITY solidity are the objects of lago's envy 3.1,Iago´s Lurked feelings of Emptiness: can be gauged by the extent to which he Charles Tylor starts his book A Secular Age (2007) works to replicate his own self-division questioning the nature of secular modernity and the in Othello.”(Adelman, 1997, p. 128) meaning of what he called “sense of fullness”. Tylor This argument can be supported by argues that all societies tend to find an answer to the recent work on Shakespeare and question of “what constitutes a fulfilled life? What makes religion by Eric S. Mallin. In his book life really worth living? What do we most admire others Godless Shakespeare (2007), Mallin for? (Cf. 2007, p. 16). Here he comes up with the term traces Shakespeare’s attitude towards “fullness.” He maintains that” Somewhere, in s ome religion. He argues that despite the activity, or condition, lies a fullness, a richness; that is, in prevailing Biblical imaginary and that place (activity or condition), life is fuller, richer, religious language, Shakespeare was deeper, more worthwhile, more admirable, more what it against orthodox Christianity. should be. This is perhaps a place of power: we often Shakespeare, however, was in favour of experience this as deeply moving, as inspiring. Perhaps spirituality and not a secular rational this sense of fullness is something we just catch glimpses state. At the beginning of his book, of from afar off; we have the powerful intuition of what after admitting his suspicious “about fullness would be, were we to be in that condition, e.g., of Shakespeare’s lack of assurance in the peace or wholeness; or able to act on that level, of God and entrenched myths of Judeo- integrity or generosity or abandonment or self- Christian culture,” he affirms that there forgetfulness. But sometimes there will be moments of were two ideas that Shakespeare sought experienced fullness, of joy and fulfilment, where we feel to support. Fist “to supply entertainment ourselves there (2007, p. 5). rather than offence”, and the belief in “an occult world, one cheerfully or www.ijels.com Page | 689 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 menacingly beyond rationality. . . . In Venice, they do let God see the Specifically, he buys into the notion of pranks the soul” (9–10). They dare not show their husbands; 3.2,Iago´s Attacked Superiority and his Absolute Belief in their best conscience the Power of Will: Is not to leave undone, but keep‘t “the most delightful thing to such a man would be unknown. (3.3.201-204) something that gave an extreme satisfaction of power and Also, Iago’s subtle choice of words to superiority…and the moment most dangerous to such a hint to whatever he wants the other to man would be one when his sense of superiority had met get can be clearly seen when Iago says with an affront, so that its habitual crav ing was reinforced to Othello, “She did deceive her father, by resentment, while at the same time he saw an marrying you” (III. iii. 206). Here Iago opportunity of satisfying it by subjecting to his will the reminds Othello of what Desdemona very persons who had affronted it” (Bradley, 1951, p. 94- did previously and to arouse his mind 95) to think of his wife´s behaviour. Iago is an egoistic, self-centred person Another interesting example is when who seeks to maintain for himself the Iago says to Othello, “I hear [Cassio] most beautiful image, amount of say, ‘Sweet Desdemona…let us hide fortune, and social rank at any cost. our loves!’” and “Such a handkerchief I When he fails to achieve his goals, am sure it was your wife’s –did I today however, he conspires to spoil the see Cassio wipe his beard with” (III. iii. pleasure and fortune of those whom he 416-417, 434-436). Iago chose deemed as more fortunate. Iago´s Desdemona´s handkerchief to prove her conspiracy aims not only to spoil the infidelity, to arouse Othello´s jealousy pleasure of his enemies but also it and to send him over the edge. As a strengthens his sense of superiority reaction to Iago´s words, Othello says, over them. “I’ll tear her all to pieces!” (III. iii. In the beginning, Iago starts satiating 428). his hunger for the sense of superiority The choice of the handkerchief itself is by manipulating his victims and of a significant meaning for Othello enjoying the sense of being able to because it was the first gift he ever gave manipulate them. He knows exactly to Desdemona and therefore the symbol when to use the right words that direct of their love. In this context, Omer and his victims to the directions he wishes. Verona argue that symbols are very “[Iago] uses suspicion, hints, affirms by significant in everyone’s life (10) and denying, covers his traces, forestalls therefore, “The handkerchief is the criticism, and blurs the contours of attention-narrowing hypnotic symbol of reality” (Omer & Da Verona, p. 3). profaned love.” (11) For instance, Iago understands the Although Iago´s manipulation of psychology of Othello and chooses Othello´s mind leads Othello to fall into cunningly the words which could arouse a pitfall of jealousy that ended up in his mind, abetting him to suspect his murdering Desdemona and the wife´s actions. destruction of Othello´s and Iago said to Othello, Desdemona’s lives, Iago did not show O, beware, my lord of jealousy! any regret or remorse. On the contrary, It is the green-eyed monster, which doth he was happy and his happiness was mock inspired by his success in manipulating The meat it feeds upon. (3.3. 165-67) Othello to prove for himself his own sense of power over him. Here, one Another example is when Iago can agree with Bradley who argues that describes Venetian women as unfaithful the irresistible sense of superiority is the women to hint at Desdemona’s real unconscious reason for Iago´s unfaithfulness without saying it happiness at the misery of his victims. explicitly. He says to Othello, Bradley gave the example of the person I [unlike you] know our country bullying his wife or children even with disposition well: the fact that he loves them most or the www.ijels.com Page | 690 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 other who tortures a frog without any idleness or manur'd with industry— reason. Such a person enjoys watching why, the power and corrigible authority the suffering of the other because their of this lies in our wills. If the balance of suffering proves his victory over them our lives had not one scale of reason to (Bradley, 1951, p. 95) poise another of sensuality, the blood Bradley´s aforementioned argument and baseness of our natures would manifests itself once again in Iago´s conduct us to most preposterous extreme happiness after his success in conclusions. But we have reason to cool ruining Cassio's reputation. Iago says, our raging motions, our carnal stings, "Pleasure and action make the hours our unbitted lusts; whereof I take this seem short" (2.2.373). that you call love to be a sect or scion. Another good example of Iago´s desire (I.iii.320-31) to manipulate the other to assert his Iago´s aforementioned quotation sense of superiority manifested itself in reflects his devoid of emotions and his the manipulation of Roderigo whom contempt for a person like Roderigo, he, Iago, repeatedly asks to "Put who allows himself to be dominated by money in thy purse ... fill thy purse emotions, which led to his injury. Iago with money" (1.3.340, 348) and he reproaches Roderigo when he declares could receive enough jewels and gold that he suffers from his unrequited love from Roderigo but he, Iago, never for Desdemona on the ground that shows any delight in this money which Iago´s belief that “It is merely a lust of asserts that Iago was only interested in the blood and a permission of the will” proving his sense of superiority and his (1.3.337-8) that causes Roderigo to be ability to exploit and fool those around so injured. him. He repeats, "Put money in thy Nonetheless, there are critics who purse," and then adds, "Thus do I ever interpreting Iago´ s motives and actions make my fool my purse" (1.3.381). in human terms. For example, in the In this context and reading Iago as a Apologetic of Evil: The Case of Iago character which has an extreme belief (2009), Richard Raatzsch argues that in the power of the will and self-control we do not have to ignore the fact that to achieve its own goals, Soellner Iago is a fictional character. For claims that Shakespeare was interested Raatzsch, Iago is a monster and that we in the issue of the power of will as a cannot suppose that his psychology can feature of the modern individuals that represent that of a real human. He goes differs from that of the Mediaeval on to argue that Iago can be a version devout Catholics. For Soellner, Iago of a human but his evil is so extreme stands for the new acquired of that can stand for an ordinary human personality which emerged as a result category. (Raatsch, 2009). of a new approach towards life that was developing at Shakespeare´s time. One IV. CONCLUSION can see Soellner´s aforementioned Iago is the most complex character amongst argument in Iago´s view of a person as Shakespeare’s villains. His vicious actions lack clear “the product of his will”. A belief that motives and it is even suggested that Iago was doing evil leads him to liberate himself from old for its own sake. Moreover, his opinions of the people “Christian humanis m” and represent the around him, most of the time, contradict themselves. This modern individual (Soellner, 1972, p. has made the character of Iago to be regarded as an 261). unsolved riddle yet to be understood. But when we read Iago says to Roderigo: the character of Iago through the psychoanalysis of the ' Tis in ourselves that we are thus or narcissist, one can claim that Iago´s actions are motivated thus. Our bodies are our gardens to the by his unconditional "self-love". The narcissist seeks to which our wills are gardeners; so that if sustain their desirable self -reflections, whatever the we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set consequences would be. This explains why Iago hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it pretended to be honest and gained a loveable unique with one gender of herbs or distract it image amongst his followers but turned the lives of all with many, either have it sterile with those whom he knows best into hell when his self- honour www.ijels.com Page | 691 International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences (IJELS) Vol-3, Issue-4, Jul - Aug, 2018 https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijels.3.4.28 ISSN: 2456-7620 was attacked by the choice of Cassio to be Othello´s [15] Omer,H.& Da Verona. (1991).Doctor Iago's captain. On the grounds that these people dared to attack treatment of Othello. American journal of his pride and to treat him unjustly, and above all they psychotherapy, 45(1), 99-112. were more fortunate than him. Therefore he plotted to [16] Pryse, M. (1976). 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